< Proverbs 2 >
1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and wilt hide my commandments with thee,
My son, if you accept my words and hide my commandments within you,
2 That thy ear may hearken to wisdom: Incline thy heart to know prudence:
if you incline your ear to wisdom and direct your heart to understanding,
3 For if thou shalt call for wisdom, and incline thy heart to prudence:
if you truly call out to insight and lift your voice to understanding,
4 If thou shalt seek her as money, and shalt dig for her as for a treasure:
if you seek it like silver and search it out like hidden treasure,
5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and shalt find the knowledge of God.
then you will discern the fear of the LORD and discover the knowledge of God.
6 Because the Lord giveth wisdom: and out of his mouth cometh prudence and knowledge.
For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He will keep the salvation of the righteous, and protect them that walk in simplicity.
He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk with integrity,
8 Keeping the paths of justice, and guarding the ways of saints.
to guard the paths of justice and protect the way of His saints.
9 Then shalt thou understand justice, and judgment, and equity, and every good path.
Then you will discern righteousness and justice and equity—every good path.
10 If wisdom shall enter into thy heart, and knowledge please thy soul:
For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will delight your soul.
11 Counsel shall keep thee, and prudence shall preserve thee,
Discretion will watch over you, and understanding will guard you,
12 That thou mayst be delivered from the evil way, and from the man that speaketh perverse things:
to deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perversity,
13 Who leave the right way, and walk by dark ways:
from those who leave the straight paths to walk in the ways of darkness,
14 Who are glad when they have done evil, and rejoice in most wicked things:
from those who enjoy doing evil and rejoice in the twistedness of evil,
15 Whose ways are perverse, and their steps infamous.
whose paths are crooked and whose ways are devious.
16 That thou mayst be delivered from the strange women, and from the stranger, who softeneth her words:
It will rescue you from the forbidden woman, from the stranger with seductive words
17 And forsaketh the guide of her youth,
who abandons the partner of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God.
18 And hath forgotten the covenant of her God: for her house inclineth unto death, and her paths to hell. ()
For her house sinks down to death, and her tracks to the departed spirits.
19 None that go in unto her shall return again, neither shall they take hold of the paths of life,
None who go to her return or negotiate the paths of life.
20 That thou mayst walk in a good way: and mayst keep the paths of the just.
So you will follow in the ways of the good, and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For they that are upright shall dwell in the earth, and the simple shall continue in it.
For the upright will inhabit the land, and the blameless will remain in it;
22 But the wicked shall be destroyed from the earth: and they that do unjustly shall be taken away from it.
but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be uprooted.